Wiliielm fiedler



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. FIEDLER. ELECTRICAL RAILWAY SIGNAL.

N0. 555,601.' Patented Mar. 3, 189.6.

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(No Model.)

W. FIEDLER: ELECTRICAL RAILWAY SIGNAL.

Patented Mar. 3, I896.

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\VILHELM FIEDLER, OF OHARLOTTENBURG, GERMANY.

I ELECTRICAL RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,601, dated March 3, 1896.

Application filed Augu t 25, 1894. Serial No. 521,339. (No model.) Patented in Germany February 6,1894,No.7,350.

To all whom it 11mg concern:

Be it known that I, WILHELM FIEDLER, engineer, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at 42 Potsdamerstrasse, Oharlottenburg, Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrically-WVorked Apparatus for Regulating Signals, (for which I have obtained a patent in Germany, No. 7,350, filed February 6, 1894,) of which the following is a specification.

The purpose of this invention is to dispense with traction-wires for operating semaphoresignals and to provide an operating apparatus which may be attached to existing signals to enable the signals to be worked by means of an electric current, thus making it possible to work these signals directly from any given distance.

In illustrating this invention I have applied it to signals the fundamental position of which is the stop position, and represented by the horizontal signal-arm, the signal clear being represented by the signal-arm being raised upward to an angle of forty-five degrees.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the electrical motor in position stop. Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate the signal post and arm and the disk operating the latter in position stop. Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate the same in position clear. Fig. 6 shows the motor in position clear. Fig. 7 is a detail view.

F shows the semaphore-arm; A, the support therefor in the stop position.

Z shows the draw-bar that connects with the arm; 13, the origin of the current, (battery of accumulators G, a switch or key to interrupt the current at the place whence the signal is worked.

L and L are the two wires leading from the signal to the place of working, one of which could be saved by using the earth as a conductor.

The motor apparatus consists of the disk Q, to which is attached the pin S engaging the draw-bar Z.

X is the spindle upon which the disk Q is secured.

R is a cog-wheel which is also carried by the spindle X R and R are two further cog-wheels, and t t t pinions in train with wheel R D is a ratchet-wheel and k a pawl, which are for the purpose of locking the wheel R and the motor.

X is the shaft upon which are fastened pinion i and ratchet-wheel D, while B is only loosely placed on this shaft.

g is an arm secured to the shaft X 'n is a stop-piece formed upon wheel R.

h, b and 72,3 show a three-armed lever. 00 is its pivot; f, a spiral spring which keeps said three-armed lever in position, as represented in Fig. 1.

p is an extension formed upon lever-arm 71 E, an electromagnet with high-resistance coils; T, its armature on arm J f the spring for pulling same backward. On the end of the upward extension of arm J is the hook q for the purpose of engaging with the extension p when the armature t is attracted.

M shows the field-magnets of a motor; t the rotary armature. Resting on the lengthened axle of the latter, which carries pinion t are brushes to which two wires Z Z are joined.

Z, Z Z Z and Z are connecting-wires.

c is a spring fastened to lever-arm h I) and b two contacts upon which 0 rests when the three-armed lever is free for closing the current for the electrometer. When 0 is lifted from b and IF, as long as p is caught under q, the circuit is interrupted.

The operating-key has a position for the beginning and also one for the finish. The former (position of repose) corresponds with the stop position of the signal-arm and the latter position to clear. The arm F is not fully balanced. The turning moment of the longer semaphore-arm surpasses that of the short arm and is limited in its stroke for the stop position by the support A.

In mechanical semaphore-signals, as is well known, the arm must be moved by a pin projected from the roller over which the wires are taken. At each change of the signal from stop to clear the roller is turned forward to a given point and then turned back, so as to get the signal in the stop position, the motive disk q taking the place of this roller in the electrical-motor apparatus and produces exactly the same effect upon rod Z. The effect, however, is produced in such a manner that disk Q always moves in the same direction (as indicated in the drawings by arrows) whether it is to give the clear. signal or the stop signal. The disk Q has therefore never to make a backward movement. The clear signal is produced by turning the disk two hundred and forty degrees in the direction of the arrows, so that the pin travels from S to S Fig. 5. To reproduce the stop sign Q must turn one hundred and twenty degrees also in the direction of the arrows, so that the pin moves on the shortest way from S to S, so that after using the signal once from stop to clear and back again the disk Q has exactly completed one full revolution. In the first position, S, it does not rest 011 the dead-point, as can be seen in Fig. 2, but is about onetwelfth of the circle-line behind it in the direction of the arrows. On the way to the finishing position there first takes place a movement of one-twelfth of the circle up to the medial position. Then the bar Z is acted upon, and, the distance of the pin from the turning-point of the disk Q, being measured for the purpose, is drawn suiiiciently to raise the wing at s to an angle of forty-five degrees. The further turning to the final position, .9 Fig. 5, is only required to get the apparatus ready for a repetition of the stop sign.

To bring the arm F back into the position of repose, the pin must turn from the final position, 3, direct to s-namcly, one hundred and twenty degrees in the direction of the arrows. The way thus traveled corresponds with that on the opposite half-circle from s to s and produces a backward or upward movement of the drawing-bar Z to the same extent as Z was drawn in the movement from S to S so that F represents again the stop sign. \Vith this arrangement a motive power is required to produce the signal clear; but for the production of the position of repose the weight of the longer semaphore-arm is used as the motor for Q, as on the way from S to S. The power acting on Q during the production of the stop signal is always in the direction of the arrows.

As motive power for the movement first named the electromotor M is used, the turning of the armature of which is sufliciently geared down by the wheel-train up to disk Q to draw Z down. During this movement the pawl K secured to R engages the wheel D, as represented in Fig 7.

The detent apparatus, consisting of the levers h 71 h and the electromagnet E, with accessories, is intended to stop the motor apparatus as soon as the position shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is reached, and to keep it in this positionnamely, the arm F in the clear positiontill the signal stop is again required. In the position of repose of the regulating-motor apparatus the detent arrangement is released. This releasing takes place shortly before the pin on the motive disk Q arrives at s and is produced by the stop m, which is attached in a convenient position to R. at raises the suitably-placed lever-arms h, while 7r, with j), catches under the projection q, formed upon the right-angled extension .I of the armature of the electromagnet E, and allows the electric current cireulating in the coils of E to hold T closely. At the same time spring 0 is lifted from Z) and Z1 and thus the motor-current is interrupted. Besides through this releasing-wheel R is brought into such a position that its further movement is stopped by the arm g and leverarm ILE. Therefore the whole motor apparatus is stopped and F remains at clear.

\Vhen the signal is to go back to stop and the outer current is interrupted at G for this purpose at the place from where the apparatus is controlled electromagnet E loses current and spring f draws back armature T, thus setting the arm h" at liberty. By the action of spring f the three-armed lever is moved and arm 9 is set free from arm 11?. The weight of semaphore-arm F draws up the bar Z, and consequently disk Q. As soon. as disk Q is so far turned that the pin has reached the position S arm F also arrives at the position of repose and its action upon rod Z is withdrawn.

The before-mentioned movement of R comes into action in the following way: \V hen the semaphore-arm is in the position of repose, as long as the weight of the arm F acts through the bar Z in the described way upon Q, and Q tries to move in the direction. of the arrows, the pawl K avoids the teeth of D, and therefore only R t and D are put into motion, while R R and M remain inactive. lVhen the detent apparatus is released, spring a rests against contacts Z) and 11 but a connection of the current for M is not produced by it, as the circuit of the current is interrupted at G.

For setting the arm at clear the current of the motor apparatus which has the position shown in'Fig. 1 is closed by putting key G in the position clear at the place from where the apparatus is regulated. G remains in this position as long as the sign clear is to be given. The circuit of the current which has been closed by changing the position of key G allows the current to take its course from the pole of the origin of the said current 13 over G, through L, over 7a to Z and the cleetromotor M, thence through Z Z I) c D Z L back to the pole of B. A branch current from 7t passes through Z the electromagnet E Z to 70 This branch current produces the attraction of the armature T while the main current causes the rotation of the electromotor M.

The motor apparatus is put into motion in the above-described 'manner and turns the motive disk Q till the detent apparatus is brought into action, as already described. This causes the interruption of the main course of the current at b and b the result of which is that motor M comes to a standstill. This state continues as long as the Way for the branch current is closed. Said branch current represents a suitable resisting power from the coils of the electromagnet E of about one-sixth of the main current. By putting key G into the original position this branch current is interrupted and E thus loses current. This produces the releasing of the detent apparatus and causes the return of the arm F to the position of stop in the man ner described. Allparts come thus again into the position of repose (first position) and the motor apparatus is again ready for use.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of a semaphore-arm F, a rod Z, a rotary disk Q, an eccentrically-placed pin 'in said disk, in connection with said rod,

an electric motor, a wheel-train adapted to be revolved by said motor and to communicate the rotary motion thereof to disk Q, a ratchetwheel and pawl interposed in said wheeltrain for permitting further rotary movement of said disk, on arrest of said motor, an arm g and a pin n adapted to move with said Wheeltrain, a three-armed lever adapted to co-operate with said arm 9 and pin n a circuit containing the motor an operating-key at the place of control and a contact under control of said three-armed lever, a branch circuit, an electromagnet E in said branch circuit, an armature thereto and a hook q adapted to be operated by said armature to arrest the threearmed lever, the Whole substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

XVILHELM FIEDLER. lVitnesses CHAS. I-I. DAY, WILLIAM HAUPT. 

